One way to reduce energy consumption – jack up the price!

Usually, governments attempt to reduce national energy consumption by educating the public on practical ways they can make changes around the home. Some offer incentive programs for making efficiency upgrades. Others pay for advertising campaigns – billboards, commercials, and free give-a-ways that remind you to “turn the lights out when you leave.” A select few countries, on the other hand, have chosen to take the opposite approach.

If you can’t get people to willingly curb their habits, jack up the price of electricity until people can no longer afford to be wasteful!

Both England and Wales increased the overall price of energy, and during a six-year span in which utility bills rose 28%, consumption dropped by 25%.

This information comes from a recent report out of the UK’s Office for National Statistics. The report cites residents throughout England and Wales who’ve made significant eco-improvements to their homes in order to combat rising energy costs. Back in 2008, a mere 44% of homes had proper roof insulation, compared to 60% last year. It’s no surprise that the jump corresponds with the U.K. giving consumers more incentive to purchase energy-efficient homes and appliances.

In a country mostly dependent upon natural gas for energy, many homes managed to make improvements to their waters heaters and air condition systems. After all, nobody wants to spoil that beautiful English countryside with more fracking drills and equipment.

The same sort of price-fixing is expected to occur in the United States sometime before the end of the decade.  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, levying home efficiency improvements will reduce the country’s energy usage per person annually until 2040.

In other parts of the world, leaders are coming together in hopes of figuring out other, less government-intense solutions. The heads of the Shanghai Environment Protection Industry Association and the China Clean Expo have agreed to collaborate on next year’s International Waste Management & Recycling Show. The show brings energy industry professionals together in an atmosphere geared towards.

Established back in 2002, the China Clean Expo is the country’s largest eco-friendly show, offering a unique trading and brainstorming atmosphere for waste management professionals. The expo showcases a wide array of technology and products, hoping one will prove to be the next big breakthrough. From waste processing and municipal equipment, to environment sanitation operations and processing technology – 2014’s event will have it all. Over 20,000 professionals and vendors from across the world are already expected to attend!

So, what’s the best way to change a bad habit: through reason, or a swift kick in the rear? It remains to be seen.

NRGLab is supporting the future of energy. For more information on our slate of projects currently in development, visit nrglab.asia.

An endless European depression?

According to one of England’s largest financial managers, focusing on deficit reduction could result in an “endless depression” for the United Kingdom.

"The prospects for gross domestic product (GDP) recovery in the euro zone in 2013 or 2014 are diminishing by the month," said John Greenwood, chief economist at Invesco Perpetual.  "My forecast is for real GDP growth of -0.2%, compared with an estimated -0.5% in 2012. In short, there will be no meaningful recovery in 2013, and there is a risk of the downturn extending into 2014."

Greenwood went on to scrutinize the precedent set by Cyprus's $13 billion bailout. From now on, banks in the European zone will be far more conservative in loaning money, which could lead to severe deleveraging.

"In view of (the Cyprus bailout), it's clear that the euro area orthodoxy implies further austerity and almost endless depression," said Greenwood.

Greenwood’s prediction comes on the heels of newly appointed United States Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urging the European Union to enact more pro-growth legislation.

"We have an immense stake in Europe's health and stability," said Lew at a recent press conference. "I was particularly interested in our European partners' plans to strengthen sources of demand at a time of rising unemployment."

But, according to Greenwood, "the longer term danger is a 'Japanization' of Europe, as growth stalls and deflation takes hold.”

In March, Greece suffered from similar economic deflation for the first time in nearly half- a-century. Others countries may soon follow.

Portuguese Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, a staunch supporter of fiscal responsibility, reiterated this week his intent to cut government spending, while some, like Nick Spiro of Spiro Sovereign Strategy, aren’t convinced that austerity is the answer.

"Portugal's 2011 bailout went off track some time ago,” said Spiro. “If it weren’t for the troika's leniency and the dramatic rally in Portuguese debt, the program would have already failed by now.”

As governments around the world struggle to balance their budgets and boost their economies, more and more individuals will be faced with alternative investment opportunities. Investing in clean energy, for example, could prove to be the future of finance. No matter what the economic climate, the demand for energy will always exist. Owning and operating a means of renewable electricity production, like the SH-box by NRGLab, is one way to protect yourself from the corrupt and crumbling banking system. Don’t wait until it’s too late. See how you can get in with NRGLab by visiting their website at narglab.asia.

The New Class System

The global economic crisis has uprooted the traditional class system, according to a recent British study. Gone is the idea of a three-tier -- upper, middle, and working class -- designation. Modern society has become a cornucopia of identities.

The study was conducted by professor Fiona Devine and a team of sociologists at Manchester University. Devine discovered that the British social stratosphere contains such denominations as "emergent service workers" and the "technical middle class." Seven total, up from three.

Experts contribute the paradigm shift to fluctuations and changes in the global economy. Tradesmen with specific skill-sets now earn more money than undervalued and ill-experienced college graduates. The income dynamic has led many to seek secondary-educational opportunities (i.e. tech schools that offer specific skills) in order to stay competitive in the job market.

Backed by the BBC, Devine surveyed over 160,000 people about their background, level of education, income, lifestyle, and ambitions for the future.

According to Devine: "Many people think that the problem of social and cultural engagement is more marked in poorer class groups, but the survey shows that our levels of social and cultural capital don’t always mirror our economic success."

Affluent households no longer take pleasure in traditional "middle class" activities, the survey found.

“The ‘technical middle class’ score low for social and cultural capital, but are quite well off," said Devine. "While the ‘emergent service workers’ score highly for cultural and social capital but are not very prosperous.”

A person's occupation no longer dictates his or her social standing. In fact, the social landscape is just about as complex as our economy, which relies on a network of seemingly indeterminable variables that ebb and flow like a river. How much we make doesn't seem to translate into specific entertainment choices anymore, either. Instead, the economic crisis has, in a sense, leveled the playing field by creating a diverse spectrum of individuals comfortable with the quality of their lives.

As this new class system solidifies, people will have unheralded opportunities to invest in their aspirations. One of ours at NRGLab has been to bring affordable energy to the developing world. But we can't do it alone. We need other visionaries to help bring our dream to fruition. If you consider yourself a visionary, visit our website at nrglab.asia and learn more about how you can become a part of NRGLab's exclusive Research Council.